I have known and worked with Colleen for at least 20 years. We have been Nursing Supervisors together. We worked as Clinical Resource Administrators together. And now we are W6 Assistant Nurse Managers together.   In all the time I have known Colleen, she has never wavered in her passion for patient and staff safety.  She has always been a fierce advocate for the patients and the staff. She is one of the kindest people I know and always takes time to get to know the staff. When we rounded together, I would always be amazed that she would know who had a grandma in the hospital, who had a grandchild on the way, who was struggling with an issue at home.  She is the person who just jumps in and helps with whatever is needed, no matter what it is. You will frequently hear her telling staff, visitors or patients "what do you need, what can I do, can I help you with that, let me help you with that, let me do that, I've got this", all said rapid fire, while she's doing the thing she sees needs to be done.  

Colleen is always saying to me, "Oh, you go, girl, with your smart self", but the truth is, Colleen is smart. She knows her nursing. She knows her pathophysiology.  She knows hospital policy.  She understands how the units run, she understands how the hospital runs, and she understands staffing.  She can problem-solve like no other.  

As I said, Colleen is a fierce patient advocate.  She is always saying, "Come on, guys, let's think about this. We've got to think about what's right for the patient. What if this were your family member?"  In the last 2 months, Colleen took this patient advocacy to the max. The first was a patient who came to the ED with an HCT of 13. The patient was admitted to W6 with a HCT of 18 after several units of PRBC in ED, but was still actively bleeding with no planned GI procedures set up.  The patient was deemed not appropriate for ICU or PCU, and when GI did see the patient in the am, they said there was no room for the patient on the schedule.   Colleen advocated with multiple levels of providers before taking it upon herself to call down to HPC and tell the charge RN that while she "wasn't telling them how to do their job, they needed to make room for this patient because she was bleeding out" before her eyes.  The patient did get scoped, and a bleed was found and treated.  I believe that Colleen's actions saved that patient's life. 

The second instance was regarding a patient who was DNR/DNI, with a very low EF, who was becoming increasingly hypotensive and lethargic. Again, the patient was not deemed ICU appropriate.  Working on the belief that DNR/DNI doesn't mean "do not treat", Colleen advocated for this patient, and some fluid boluses were ordered.  But then, because of the low EF, Colleen questioned the orders for continued fluid boluses.  Once again, Colleen advocated through multiple levels of providers up to Cardiology, finally getting the patient transferred to the ICU for pressors.  Once again, I believe Colleen's actions saved this patient's life.  

I could go on and on listing examples of her staff and patient advocacy, be it staffing issues, provider response issues, or family complaints.  The fact is that the above two examples just highlight the magnificent leader she has always been. I always joke at evaluation time that I want to grow up to be like Colleen. But the truth is that she sets the bar very high, and as a fellow leader, I do strive to match it.